Sunday 19 June 2011

A Wet & Windy Abingdon

Tuesday dawned sunny & warm as forecasted & we had a very pleasant cruise down the Thames. It did feel strange to be on wide deep water after a year on the canal system but we were still happy to trundle along, rarely going faster than 3.5 - 4 mph.
The other difference we have noticed is the locks, well not the locks themselves as they are very similar to the big locks on the Aire & Calder that we are well used to, no, the few we have been through up to press are all immaculate & most have well tended gardens to boot. 


Iffley Lock garden.
We had no firm plan as to where we would moor up so as we came down through Abingdon Lock & saw the welcoming sight of a long bank of firm edged moorings with plenty of space we wasted no time in getting settled in. 

Poppy moored in Abingdon, the weir in the background.

Turns out that they are 5 day moorings & free,  Abingdon seems to welcome boaters.
We arrived in warm sunshine but it wasn't to last, the rest of the week has been showery & windy so no BBQ this week. Abingdon has shops aplenty & from our spot we can walk into town via the bridge or the scenic route, across the lock & the weir then through the abbey gardens.

                                       baby coots in the Abbey Stream, not pretty are they!!


Even though the weather has been poor we've had plenty to entertain us, from watching the kayakers practising for white water conditions under the weir to checking out the gin palaces  & Mark doesn't have to keep muttering about us banging about as they whizz past because we don't! 


Our 5 days are up so tomorrow it's time to move on, we shall turn round ( no winding hole needed as nice & wide here) to go back up through the lock to fill up the water tank & empty the loo's before coming back down. Again we have no plan & shall just potter along though the weather may play some part as to when we stop as rain is due midday(ish). 

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